My Rescue Rescued Me

In a blanket

I’ll never forget waking up on that special Christmas morning, five years old and excited as any kid would be on Christmas, then walking into the living room to be greeted with the sight of a beautiful red Dachshund puppy wrapped in a blanket. She was the very first pet my family had and I was overjoyed. 

However, in 2013, my family unfortunately lost her due to unprecedented health issues that were out of control. Losing her was such a shock to me that I remember remaining numb for the rest of the summer. When we lost her, my parents and I almost considered not getting a second pet, despite looking in the newspaper and on local adoption websites. 

Inside a fur coat

A few weeks later, time came to move forward. After switching from a private school to a public middle school, the stars themselves seemed to align as another family member joined us. The day before when I was supposed to start my first day of eighth grade at a brand new school, my mother received a call from a beloved family friend. The couple could not take care of a brand new, six week old puppy, nor did they want to keep it, and offered that we take it in if interested.

After hanging up the phone, my mother, grandmother, and I all piled into the car just “to see” and “check out” if this puppy would be worth it. However, after an hour’s drive, the second our car turned into the driveway, the three of us were greeted with the sight of the family friend with the tiny puppy on a leash. Seeing this new puppy as a black and tan Dachshund-Chihuahua mix speck sitting at the end of the large driveway, my mother and I immediately died of happiness, and my grandmother knew that this dog would be coming home with us. 

On the ride back home, the three of us picked up on a couple of our new four-legged friend quirks that still stick to this day. For example, she loves to lay in my lap while in the car and is extremely well behaved in any vehicle. So much so that, as we will soon figure out, she actually gets mad if she cannot go on errands with us.

Now, as the years have passed, our new  “rescue” Heidi, certainly rescued me, and my family. The puppy that we said we’d check out has become a permanent part of our family who we often joke is a human in a fur coat. We love her unconditionally and she does the same in her own ways. 

Heidi brings joy and happiness everyday to me and my family that I know we would never trade her for anything. She is such a different dog than my first dog ever was and, while she’s pushing fifteen, Heidi still has so much energy and love to give. Everyday is an adventure with her. Heidi brings life into our house, even at such an old age, that my parents and I make fun of her by calling her an “old lady.” 

On a Parcheesi board

Whether she growls at unexpected noises, shows zero fear of fireworks, or passes out on the Parcheesi board in the middle of a game, she is one of the best last-minute chances we’ve ever taken. This dog has gotten my family through loss and hard times, and never failed to make us smile or laugh whenever we need it. 

We have given Heidi one of the best homes as a loving family, and it is incredibly important to us to treat all rescues with love and respect, regardless of where they came from. We usually won’t know their situation, unless we adopt and the center knows about the animal’s past, but by showing any kind of animal kind feelings and with time, anything is possible. 

For the rescuing

I’ve certainly learned that lesson with all of the pets I’ve had,  and Heidi has taught me the importance of adopting. Sure, it might be nice to get a pet from a store or a mill, but adopting or taking in rescues from friends or family is the absolute best way to expand your horizons on the subject of taking care of pets. 

Showing them a better home than what they came from should be one of the many necessities in life, otherwise they get put down without even having a chance. I am so glad we took the chance when it came to adopting Heidi. She claims that she’s happy we did.